People watch on the National Mall the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty

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Hundreds of women from different organizations and backgrounds rallied outside the Department of Energy and Department of Housing and Urban Development offices in Washington, D.C. this morning (January 20).

The group of activists—bringing together Indigenous women from Standing Rock, women of color from various backgrounds, climate justice fighters, veterans and allies—gathered at the Department of Energy at 9:30 a.m., where they laid out banners and held signs calling out the incoming administration’s picks for both departments, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and retired neurologist Ben Carson respectively, as well as newly appointed Department of the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, a coalition of organizations dedicated to equity for communities of color, organized the event. In a press release, they wrote:

The appointments of Rick Perry, Steve Mnuchin, and Ben Carson make clear the Trump administration’s intention to ramp up the exploitation of land for private profit, wreaking devastation for the climate, for our water, and for our homes.

The alliance also focused on Perry’s recent involvement with Energy Transfer Partners, which is behind the Dakota Access Pipeline. He stepped down from its board of directors on December 31. The press release also stated its concerns of how the Department of Energy will handle its nuclear weapon arsenal givenDonald Trump’s “desire to re-enter an arms race.”

The release goes on:

Mnuchin, Carson, and Trump together will threaten the homes of both homeowners and renters. Mnuchin is known as the “foreclosure king” for the over 36,000 foreclosures he instigated during the financial crisis. With half of all renters facing unaffordable rents and evictions at all-time highs, Carson has stated that he plans to turn public housing over to private interests, which will only worsen the displacement and affordable housing crises faced by communities around the country.

With these housing concerns in mind, the hundreds of activists assembled outside the housing offices around 10:15 a.m. Follow their organizing with #GrowTheResistance and #ItTakesRoots on Twitter. They will also take part in the Women’s March on Washington tomorrow (January 21) by marching with the Women of Color and Allies Contingent, meeting at Garfield Park at 9 a.m.

1 Comment

I was the last speaker at the Federal Reserve Board Hearing on the proposed merger of One West and CIT which the Daily KOS by signatures allowed the public to comment at the L.A. Federal Reserve Board 2-25-15. I was the last speaker and they tried to prevent me from speaking. That did not work. First I gave my written presentation already given to them before they tried to prevent me from speaking. Read it and you will understand why they did not want to hear me and have it on the record. Then after I finished my written presentation I talked about what had happened earlier in the testimony on the record. At about 1:00 P.M. a preacher stated that at about 4:00 P.M. that day while the hearing was on the CEO of CIT was going to meet with the supporters of the merger and give them a payoff, BRIBE, of $400,000. After the merger another $1.2 million in BRIBES was given to them also. I called yesterday one of the main democratic senators on the pertinent committee considering Mnuchin and they did not care. Insanity, who works for who? We live in Nazi Fascist Amerikkka. No other way to put it in reality as "YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO, NOT, WHAT YOU SAY"